Minister: Poland, Ukraine move toward deeper military cooperation with joint defence industry proposals

Polish Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak has said that Ukraine officially submitted proposals to Poland for the creation of joint defence industry enterprises, signaling a potential deepening of military cooperation between the two countries.

Błaszczak made these remarks during a press conference following talks with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov in Warsaw, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The Polish defence minister thanked the Ukrainian delegation for presenting a "very clear proposal" regarding the joint defence ventures.

He also mentioned that both sides had agreed on a brief timeline for providing a response. 

In addition to the proposal, Błaszczak confirmed plans to lead a delegation of defence sector companies to Kyiv in the near future, underscoring Poland's commitment to advancing its military cooperation with Ukraine. 

While Błaszczak refrained from sharing further details on the specifics of Ukraine’s proposals, the move is expected to strengthen defence ties between the two nations, especially in light of ongoing security concerns in the region. 

Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that Poland will continue to offer logistical support to Ukraine but will not send troops for peacekeeping duties. Sikorski outlined Poland's role in aiding Ukraine should a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia be reached, while reaffirming his country’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank. His comments came in response to remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who earlier suggested that at least 200,000 peacekeepers from European nations would be necessary to ensure Ukraine's security in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

Countries such as Britain and France are considering the possibility of deploying peacekeepers to the region. "Our first duty to NATO is to maintain the eastern flank, which is to say, secure the Polish border, on the border with Russia and Belarus," Sikorski stated, clarifying Poland’s position on military involvement. Although Poland has ruled out sending troops, Sikorski emphasized that Poland will continue to act as a logistical hub for any countries willing to send forces to Ukraine. This support would include facilitating troop deployments through airfields and railways in Poland.

By Naila Huseynova